Phaedo -- Chinese-English Parallel Text. Plato's Dialogue

Author: Plato
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-08-01
Features: Plato's dialogue Phaedo depicts the day of Socrates' execution, his discussions with his disciples on justice and immortality, and the process of his drinking the hemlock. In Western culture, in terms of influence, almost no other work can compare to Phaedo. Choosing death for his beliefs, this is a model. Socrates lived in a turbulent era. The Peloponnesian War made existing values come under suspicion. Socrates, a stonemason by trade, engaged citizens in discussions in the marketplace of Athens: what constitutes correct thought and action. He pioneered a new method, later called the "midwifery method": Socrates did not give long speeches but instead posed questions, leading his opponents to gradually entangle themselves in contradictions and gain new insights from their predicaments. He was condemned to death in Athens in 399 BCE. From Plato's other dialogue Apology, we learn that his charges were corrupting the youth, distorting truth, and denying the existence of the traditional Greek gods. In fact, jealousy and slander were likely the main reasons for his accusation. Socrates himself did not leave any written works. We can imagine that the words of Socrates in Plato's dialogues do not all come from his mouth; many of them should be considered as Plato speaking through his teacher. The well-known theory of Forms in The Republic is one such example. Socrates' charm and demeanor clearly won the admiration of his disciples, and this charm was unrelated to his appearance but rather a manifestation of his inner strength. From another dialogue, Symposium, we learn that he was fat, short, ugly, had a remarkable tolerance for alcohol, was full of irony, and was an exceptionally eloquent speaker. In Phaedo, Socrates presents an image that is both lively and profound. If he had wanted to live on, he could have fled to other cities or promised to remain silent and no longer debate in the streets of Athens. But he refused to betray his beliefs. Even today, the scene of his calm and fearless conversation with his disciples on the eve of his execution still inspires awe and admiration. In Phaedo, Socrates repeatedly calls upon his inner "daimon" to guide him on the path of righteousness. We can say that in the history of Western culture, Socrates was the first to discover individual conscience. For him, this inner voice was not confined to the individual but pointed to a higher level—the common values of humanity. Philosophy is the love of wisdom and justice, which also unites human communities and the cosmic laws of reason. From this perspective, philosophy is an inexhaustible source of happiness and joy, and thus can overcome death. The trial of Socrates and the description of his final moments have remained the foundation of Western ethics to this day. In Chinese culture, which has spanned thousands of years, there are naturally different traditions, but there are also many similarities with Western culture. Whether in the West or China, we should be grateful to Mr. Yang Jiang for translating Phaedo into Chinese. Promoting the convergence and exchange of Chinese and Western thought and ideas, Phaedo is truly an appropriate classic.